finger or f Command Purpose Shows user information. Syntax { finger | f } [ [ -b] [ -h] [ -l] [ -p] ] | [ -i] [ -q] [ -s] [ -w] ] [ -f] [ -m] [ User | User @Host | @Host ] Description The /usr/bin/finger command displays information about the users currently logged in to a host. The format of the output varies with the options for the information presented. Default Format The default format includes the following items: * Login name * Full user name * Terminal name * Write status (an * (asterisk) before the terminal name indi- cates that write permission is denied) For each user on the host, the default information list also in- cludes, if known, the following items: * Idle time (Idle time is minutes if it is a single integer, hours and minutes if a : (colon) is present, or days and hours if a "d" is present.) * Login time * Site-specific information Longer Format A longer format is used by the finger command whenever a list of user's names is given. (Account names as well as first and last names of users are accepted.) This format is multiline, and in- cludes all the information described above along with the follow- ing: * User's $HOME directory * User's login shell * Contents of the .plan file in the user's $HOME directory * Contents of the .project file in the user's $HOME directory The finger command may also be used to look up users on a remote system. The format is to specify the user as User@Host. If you omit the user name, the finger command provides the standard for- mat listing on the remote system. Create the .plan and .project files using your favorite text ed- itor and place the files in your $HOME directory. The finger command uses the toascii subroutine to convert characters outside the normal ASCII character range when displaying the contents of the .plan and .project files. The finger command displays a M- before each converted character. When you specify users with the User parameter, you can specify either the user's first name, last name, or account name. When you specify users, the finger command, at the specified host, re- turns information about those users only in long format. For other information about the finger command, see "Installa- tion and Configuration for TCP/IP". Flags -b Gives a brief, long form listing. -f Suppresses printing of header line on output (the first line that defines the fields that are being displayed). -h Suppresses printing of .project files on long and brief long formats. -i Gives a quick listing with idle times. -l Gives a long form listing. -m Assumes that the User parameter specifies a user ID (used for discretionary access control), not a user login name. -p Suppresses printing of .plan files on long and brief long for- mats. -q Gives a quick listing. -s Gives a short format list. -w Gives a narrow, short format list. Parameters @Host Specifies all logged in users on the remote host. User Specifies a local user ID (used for discretionary access control) or local user login name, as specified in the /etc/passwd file. User@Host Specifies a user ID on the remote host, displayed in long format. Examples 1. To get information about all users logged in to host alcatraz, enter: finger @alcatraz Information similar to the following is displayed: brown console Mar 15 13:19 smith pts0 Mar 15 13:01 jones tty0 Mar 15 13:01 User brown is logged in at the console, user smith is logged in from pseudo teletype line pts0, and user jones is logged in from tty0. 2. To get information about user brown at alcatraz, enter: finger brown@alcatraz Information similar to the following is displayed: Login name: brown Directory: /home/brown Shell: /home/bin/xinit -L -n Startup On since May 8 07:13:49 on console No Plan. 3. To get information about user brown at a local host in short form, enter: finger -q brown Information similar to the following is displayed: Login TTY When brown pts/6 Mon Dec 17 10:58 Implementation Specifics This command is part of the TCP/IP Facility in Network Facilities in Base Operating System (BOS) Runtime. Files /usr/bin Contains command directory. /etc/utmp Contains list of users currently logged in. /etc/passwd Defines user accounts, names, and home directories. /etc/security/passwd Defines user passwords. /var/adm/lastlog Contains last login times. $HOME/.plan Optional file that contains a one-line description of a user's plan. $HOME/.project Optional file that contains a user's project as- signment. Related Information Network Overview in AIX Version 3.2 System User's Guide: Commun- ications. The hostname command, rwho command. The fingerd daemon. Displaying Information about Logged-In Users in AIX Version 3.2 System User's Guide: Communications.